Can money buy happiness — or health, love, or even a sense of humor? A new YouGov survey explores the limits of what Americans believe money can and can’t buy, asking about 20 goods not available in most stores. While many say money can purchase political influence, social status, and fun, far fewer think it can secure other qualities, including morality, humor, or intelligence. Men and younger adults are more likely than others to see money as a path to intangible gains.
Large shares of Americans believe that, at least to some extent, money can buy fun (86%), social status (85%), political influence (85%), career success (79%), good health (74%), physical attractiveness (72%), and legal immunity (71%). Smaller majorities also say this about personal fulfillment (66%), happiness (63%), longer life (62%), and athletic success (53%).
Small shares of Americans think that money can, to at least some extent, buy good morals (14%), a sense of humor (21%), intelligence (30%), or talent (33%). Americans are less likely to say that money can than can't buy love (40% vs. 55%), good taste (42% vs. 53%), or inner peace (44% vs. 51%). Roughly equal shares of Americans think money can and can't buy friendship (49% vs. 46%) and respect (51% vs. 46%).
Men are more likely than women to say that money can, at least to some extent, buy each of the 20 qualities asked about in the survey. The largest gender gaps are for a sense of humor (29% of men vs. 14% of women), good health (81% vs. 68%), respect (57% vs. 46%), and happiness (68% vs. 58%). The smallest gender gap is for physical attractiveness, which roughly equal shares of men and women say money can buy (70% vs. 73%).
Younger adults are significantly more likely than older ones to believe that money can to some extent buy almost everything in the poll. The largest age gaps are for good taste, respect, intelligence, happiness, and inner peace.
Americans whose families earn higher and lower incomes differ modestly in their views of which intangible things money can buy. Americans whose families earn $100,000 or more are somewhat more likely than those whose families earn less to believe money can buy a longer life, respect, and happiness.
It's possible, though not testable with our data, that views differ to a larger extent when comparing people on the two more-extreme ends of the income spectrum.
— Carl Bialik contributed to this article
See the results for this YouGov poll
Methodology: This article includes results from an online survey conducted March 27 - 30, 2025 among 1,109 U.S. adult citizens. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of adult U.S. citizens. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 presidential vote, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. 2024 presidential vote, at time of weighting, was estimated to be 48% Harris and 50% Trump. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given around November 8, 2024, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (31% Democratic, 32% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 4%.
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